A Bird Named Sue

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom

~~ Maya Angelou 

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I am a cat person and not a dog person.  I find that dogs are incredibly guilt inducing... They look at me with those sad eyes and all I can think about are my inadequacies as dog's best friend.

From: http://thebarkpost.com/26-dogs-who-really-need-a-friend/

Cats are better.  They don't *want* to be walked or taught tricks.  Feed them.  Change their litter.  They will amuse themselves with your couch or your resident mice.  Much lower maintenance.

So, it was after a certain consideration to LOE (level of effort) that Grandma and I agreed we should adopt a cinnamon pearl cockatiel named Sue.

I have no experience with bird care and Grandma has only limited bird-sitting experience, so we borrowed books from the library in order to learn how to do right by Sue.

Cockatiels originate in Australia and are extremely social and curious.  Not great talkers.  For that you want a parrot or a mynah.  But cockatiels can learn to sit on a finger or a shoulder and will bond with their humans.  However, according to the books, a human can never replace avian company.  I took her outside today and listened to her call to the free robins and doves who came to Grandma's bird feeder.

To help her feel like part of the family, Sue's cage is in the kitchen, the most frequented part of the house  She clings to the side of her cage watching us whenever we are in the room and often eats when we are having our meals, though of course, she eats lots in between too.  We've discovered that she likes celery and lettuce but not carrots.   And she definitely doesn't like to be left alone.

Among the many things the books tell us can go wrong with cockatiels are mites (the avian equivalent of head lice), concussion, sour crop, tumors, constipation, excessive beak growth and obesity.  Yes - along with a balanced diet, cockatiels need their exercise and exercise means flying.  But flying is forbidden Sue for a couple of reasons.  First, Sue hasn't bonded with us to such a degree that she will consent to stand on a finger, and if you can't get a bird back in her cage, it's probably better not to let her out of her cage to begin with.  Second, cockatiels can't really be house broken and we're not keen on cleaning up after her.

So, despite all our goodwill and best intentions toward Sue, I know she will always be a bird unfulfilled.  And this is my fault.  And she knows it.  And I feel guilty, but helpless.  Clearly, I do not have the emotional strength to be a bird person.